Uganda launches mass yellow fever vaccination in eastern region after outbreak

Kampala, April 11 (IANS) Uganda has started a mass yellow fever vaccination exercise in the eastern part of the country after six confirmed cases were reported, a health official said.

The exercise, which started on Thursday, targets 4.3 million people in 19 districts, said Fred Nsubuga, senior medical officer at the Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunisation.

Nsubuga told Xinhua that the vaccination campaign, which is being held at designated schools and health facilities, covers children and adults aged 12 months to 60 years.

Rachael Nakawala, a nurse in Kaliro district, said immunisation has started in some schools in the district, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We have started on Thursday with the vaccination of some pupils in some designated schools," she told Xinhua.

"We shall visit more schools tomorrow and later health centres for a period of six days."

According to the World Health Organisation, Yellow fever is an epidemic-prone, mosquito-borne, vaccine-preventable disease that is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected mosquitoes. It is caused by an arbovirus (a virus transmitted by vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks or other arthropods) transmitted to humans by the bites of infected Aedes and Haemagogus mosquitoes.

These day-biting mosquitoes breed around houses (domestic), in forests or jungles (sylvatic), or in both habitats (semi-domestic). Yellow fever is a high-impact high-threat disease, with risk of international spread, which represents a potential threat to global health security.

The incubation period for yellow fever is 3 to 6 days. Many people do not experience symptoms. Common symptoms include fever, muscle pain, headache, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting. In most cases, symptoms disappear after 3 to 4 days.

A small percentage of patients enter a second, more toxic phase within 24 hours of recovering from initial symptoms. High fever returns, and several body systems are affected, usually the liver and the kidneys. In this phase, people are likely to develop jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes, hence the name yellow fever), dark urine, and abdominal pain with vomiting. Bleeding can occur from the mouth, nose, eyes, or stomach. Half of the patients who enter the toxic phase die within 7–10 days.

There is no specific antiviral drug for yellow fever. Patients should rest, stay hydrated and seek medical advice.

--IANS

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